A Loan of Three Years
by Dairene Kezelghski
Summary: Kuroko Tetsuya was offered a choice to change the past - that period when he was still at Teikō. Kuroko accepted and was sent back to alter it at his whim. However, as an insurance, his soul from years ago must take over his current body back at Seirin…
1. Prelude

**Prelude**

In fact, it was a pretty normal afternoon, Hyūga thought. It was also the day wherein most of the first and second years were dismissed a lot earlier; subjects seemed few today compared to other weekdays. Seirin Basketball club members were given the unusual opportunity to arrive in the gym earlier than expected, with them quickly dressing up to their practice uniforms – some casual garb of tees, shorts and training shoes – and afterwards performing the stretching routines to warm up their bodies for the practice sets. Seirin's captain inwardly groaned that at their few numbers, they populated the gymnasium with their presence. He hoped that Coach Riko was correct; winning the Inter-High and Winter Cup could possibly pull in more students to the club.

However, there were some little things that caught his attention. He merely desired to shrug them off from his head, but there was just _that_ something that drew him to observe for more. He took a peek from the sidelines to the source of the tiny curiosity which piqued him. It wasn't really that bothersome, but it alarmed him that, somehow, he was _lured_ in with the hidden scrutiny. The source: a particularly silent freshmen duo that padded wordlessly inside the gym. Well, he should actually be glad that the redhead was mostly noiseless; a little weird but one less noise maker at least.

The two trod towards the lockers deeper inside the gym, not even greeting at those who they just passed through. Perhaps it was the thing that bothered Hyūga, he decided. He didn't mind the silence between the pair, but he was rather particular about the _kouhai_s giving sufficient respect to the _senpai_s. The captain did not miss to notice that they entered even without proper greeting, something that a _proper_ Japanese student would have done out of sheer respect. A vein popped on his forehead. He soon noticed that his fist yearned for some heads to be _knuckled_ down.

He sighed and decided to let the duo pass this time, since it was too troublesome to chase them when they just closed the lockers' door. He knew he'd have more moments to perform his teachings to the disrespectful _kouhai_s.

**o o o**

Izuki was sure that it was _two _people who entered inside. Ever since Kuroko joined the basketball club, he always miscounted the people both inside and outside the court. Unless he had his focus on the maximum, he'd always end up on missing the shorter male. Well, at least this time, the voice of Kagami talking to someone else signaled him that, indeed, the phantom player was together with their ace. After he slipped in to his shirt, he shut the locker door close. He still kept a wary ear at the voice that drowned the room. Pretending that he was fixing some stuff in front of the locker, Izuki let his ears follow through the conversation.

"_Things are going to change, huh?_" The deep but rattling voice sure came from Kagami. Izuki briefly wondered if his given name, _Taiga_, was some sort of coincidence that appealed to his personality and looks (like a real _tiger_), although it may seem to appear that the choice was also likely by observation. Izuki held a silent chuckle; if the latter was true, then Kagami sure had some parents who liked to tease. "_This is going to mess my mind, I guess._" Izuki managed to hear. He was surprised that Kagami muttered that combination of words _calmly_. Yep, highlight the word 'calm.' Finally, Izuki noticed that somber aura that covered the duo. He did turn to see the pair and was stunned that the two were looking at him quizzically, as if he'd been an interesting sight to behold.

Managing to bring up a wan smile, Izuki started to scratch the back of his head, chuckling dryly at his situation. For sure, the weirdness was creeping at his body and he officially failed to react normally. "_Ano_… I–"

"Izuki-senpai," Kuroko cut him off, mildly startling the second year. "Hyūga-senpai looked like he was fuming or something." He said, his voice ever-cold, which was probably derived from his nonchalance. "I did want to greet him when we entered but I fear I might just annoy him more." He added, looking at Izuki with those almost unexpressive orbs. Izuki's awkward smile widened even more to a disturbing form.

"Eh… Is that so?" Izuki replied. "So it's my cue to check up on him, then?" He asked, rather rhetorical. Without any words to indicate his actions, Izuki only slithered through the gazes of the Seirin duo as he haplessly walked to ignore the solemn atmosphere that magically blanketed the locker area. Wincing at the idea of looking back at the source of the weirdness, Izuki gulped down, opening the locker door, slipping out and closing it promptly.

It felt that is just was so_… off_. Izuki thought. Kuroko, who he knew that spoke hardly, talked to him about something that was not really even related to basketball, with a total of two sentences at that. He now understood that something was fundamentally wrong, but he could not pinpoint what. He just sighed; he was mesmerized about the afternoon which he thought was supposed to be a pretty normal one.

**o o o**

Koganei was not really surprised when Izuki escaped from the locker room with confusion literally written on his face. He only gave a worried glance at his teammate, which accentuated that cat-like feature that marred his lips. He watched as Izuki sighed hard and fell surprised when he saw Koganei just standing in front of him. The second year merely pouted at the eerie vibes Izuki possessed at the moment, the worried look he sent now changed into that of mild annoyance. Izuki only managed to give a desiccated smile in response, in which Koganei replied with his own.

"Overall, aside from your jokes, you're weird all-throughout, Itsuki," Koganei jeered at him.

"I'm not weird," Izuki defended. "After all, it's you who looks like a cat."

"Am I a handsome cat then?" Koganei quickly replied, which ticked off Izuki.

"That's not a complement," Izuki calmly responded, still thankful that he was as composed as he appeared. He brushed his hair as he tried to straighten out his thoughts. A lone eye peeked open and dropped down at Koganei. "Besides, it isn't really me who should be noticed."

Koganei sent a regarding look, before he placed a hand under his chin. "It's Kuroko and Kagami then," he said. Izuki nodded at his guess. Of course, Koganei couldn't possibly turn a blind eye over the pair that walked along the sides of the court that sent off that menacing aura all around the vicinity. Koganei felt it in the every inch of skin, as if he was being repelled from approaching the freshmen duo. He tried to think of the possible reason as to why both Kagami and Kuroko acted that way, but he was pulled from his thoughts when he noticed that Izuki had started to walk away. "Itsuki?"

"Kuroko told me that Hyūga looks like he was going to kill somebody." Izuki answered. "I just want to confirm." He said.

"Isn't it just because the captain felt annoyed that Kagami and Kuroko barged in without greeting him?" Koganei supposed, sending his puzzled thought to Izuki.

Izuki whirled and gave Koganei an incredulous look. "Well," he did reconsider, though, "Hyūga is really the type that gets annoyed with something like that." Izuki finished, not noticing a shadow that loomed behind him. It was too late for him to realize when a fist found its way onto his head, smacking it down with an audible _thud_. Izuki almost jumped as he twisted to look at the assailant, while he rubbed the back of his head in pain. The narrowed look in his eyes was replaced with an apologetic one when he discovered that it was already the bespectacled captain that stood by them. Koganei yelped a whine, subtly telling the captain not to give him the same punishment.

"And what are you talking about?" Hyūga asked, an ominous gleam lacing his eyeglasses. The face he gave them told them that he was in a clutch mode, something they wished not to happen _outside_ a basketball game.

"I thought that your violence is reserved for the freshmen?" Izuki complained, still suffering the dull pain that bore on his head.

"I'm not going to spoil any members, idiot," Hyūga replied, lashing down the objection.

"So it's true that you look like you're going to murder someone?" Izuki just said.

"Yes. By the name of Kuroko and Kagami," Hyūga responded, summoning some dark shades that made him look more dangerous. "Just what is going on with those two?" He finally voiced out his concern, a thought that even Koganei and Izuki shared.

* * *

●A LOAN OF THREE YEARS ● A LOAN OF THREE YEARS ● A LOAN OF THREE YEARS ●

* * *

"Kuroko, the ball!" Kagami roared as he and the rest of Seirin played a mock basketball game that afternoon. After the weird show the duo had mustered some minutes before, most of Seirin was really flabbergasted with the scene. Nevertheless, all of them were relieved when the two people in concern walked out of the locker room in their usual practice attire, their expressions showing that nothing was really wrong. The usual comedic bicker between the two players had returned, showcasing the loud and angry Kagami lines being replied with the cold and monotonous Kuroko retorts. Well, if that was the case, then Seirin could finally breathe a little easier now.

At least, in some conclusion, the power duo of their own basketball team could affect them in a subtle way as well. Team interaction was an important part of the team game called 'basketball', after all, and it was just proven that a little pinch of eccentricity actually made them a bit uncomfortable. But, at least, it subsided to the point that they played efficiently even at the practice game.

With Kagami and Kuroko paired again to counter a team of seniors, the duo practically lambasted their senpais with scores and huge gaps. It was really unlike their first practice match wherein Kagami owned the game for himself. He was indeed a scorer, but then his streak ended when the senpais triple teamed him. Now, however, was a different case. With the knowledge of their skills, both Kagami and Kuroko took advantage of their almost perfect pair play, down-turning the man defenses the senpais set-up against Kagami and piercing through the zone defenses the seniors used to halt Kuroko's passes.

In fact, they were on their way to a crushing victory but abruptly stopped when Kuroko instantly stilled on his movement, standing on his current spot, the ball in his hand. Everyone seemed to notice Kuroko's lack of action and gradually ceased from their strides to form up another defense against the pair. Coach Riko was curious enough for her to whistle down the timer and observe from a distance as to why their phantom player suddenly stopped playing. Seirin member exchanged some glances, and then most eyes fell down to Kagami. The redhead cringed; he knew that he would be the one pushed to check on Kuroko.

Reluctantly, Kagami approached Kuroko, wearing a feral grin. "Kuroko," he called out. "Stopping in the middle of court is not going to help us _crush_ the Generation of Miracles," he said, indirectly chiding the shorter male but adding a tone of motivation by the mention of the renowned basketball players.

Kuroko's head whipped precariously at Kagami. The redhead looked so surprised when the usually calm and impassive orbs were glaring daggers against him. He swore that Kuroko's pupils narrowed into some slits, making him appear so… _dangerous_. "Who are you?" It was Kuroko's reply to him, the menacing glare evident at the generally deadpan expression. "And who are you to say that the Generation of Miracles will be crushed?" He asked, his tone icy and laced with the sound of protectiveness.

"W-What are you saying, Kuroko?" Kagami pursued, clearly confused by those words. "We're going to beat up the Generation with your basketball!"

"Who are you?" Kuroko only repeated, signs of minute aggression now altering his countenance. He then thrashed his head, side to side, seeing the perplexed expression of the basketball players who watched the ordeal. He began to take a step back, Kuroko appearing to be really confused with the surrounding.

"Kuroko," Kagami garnered his attention again, the redhead now walking forward towards the phantom player. Just when he was two steps away from the shorter male, a ball suddenly bashed him in his face, the force of the hit almost as strong as a knuckled punch. Kagami Taiga was sent back by the ball, his legs wobbling as he made an effort to remain standing. However, he finally lost control and balance, which made Kagami fell flat on his back. Seirin instantly went over to Kagami's side, not noticing that certain phantom player vanished as soon as the ball was thrown against the taller player.

**o o o**

Kuroko sped out of the gym. He quickly found his way out, noticing that the place was not as big as he expected. Meandering through people and objects, Kuroko sprinted as fast as he could, away from the strange place that he had just been into. He sucked in some air as he ran, realizing that he was already sore when he just started to run. But, immediately, he was quick to remember that he had been in that court, playing some basketball with some strangers. His eyes widened when he recalled that tall red-haired man calling him by his name. He did not know that person, so how on earth did he get acquainted with him? Kuroko shook his head. Running and thinking at the same time tasked his body more than it could help him. The teal-haired male decided that he was already far enough. He bent down, using his knees to support his hands, as he panted so hard that he felt all traces of oxygen left his lungs.

Kuroko looked by the sides of his eyes, scanning his surroundings. Clearly, he was not supposed to be there. He was supposed to be training for basketball. Well, he realized he played basketball back at that gym, but it was not the gym he was supposed to be in. Confusion chanted in his head again, the sense of unfamiliarity making his system shot up some adrenaline into his body. Anxiety and nervousness weren't really a good combination at all, since it cut his reasoning down to half. Just like what happened back at the gym. He was sorry that he used the ball to stop that man. It was an impulse, not a choice. But he was still, sorry, nonetheless.

_Not Teikō_, he said in his mind, concluding that the place was not the middle school he attended at. Few students now littered the school; perhaps it was already dismissal and club activities remained. Kuroko sent worried glances everywhere, the strangeness overcoming his senses. _What am I doing here?_ He asked himself. Although his remained impassive, Kuroko could not deny the brimming unease in his chest. _Who are those people? Why am I playing with them?_

The questions remained in his head. But an idea quickly flashed in his mind: he needed to find the Generation of Miracles, his teammates. For sure, with their help, he'd know what was happening right now.

Kuroko Tetsuya wondered. He was a regular in Teikō Middle School, but he was just playing with some strangers back at that gym, and, yet, he did not know _why_.

* * *

- **End of Prelude** -

Oh yeah, another trial fic. Let's see how this one goes as well.

Confused? You should be... *smirk*

Thanks for reading!

**Edited**: 01/16/2013 - messed up with some formatting. Fixed. :D


	2. Chapter 1

**This is a very late chapter update**, I know. But I just reflected that this type of fiction is still too complex for me. I don't have the necessary skill. Probably, this will really be the 'real' trial fic; The Hitman fic of mine is a lot simpler than this one (I think). Anyways, let me try my luck on this one. Please have mercy on my soul!

**Warning**: grammatical error, any errors are all my sins. Also, the story is written in a minimalist sense; no detailed account of the setting and environment was written because of the certain writing style this fic has employed.

**Disclaimer**: Meh...

* * *

**Chapter 1: A Shadow Lost**

"If there is anything that I'm more surprised about," Hyūga stated, as he looked curiously at their redhead ace. "It's that you look a lot calmer than I expected." He continued. His arms remained crossed over his chest. He gave a cursory look at Izuki, who gave him a nonchalant shrug, before he let his eyes bore through Kagami's figure. The captain gave an inaudible grunt under his lips, making a small effort to sort out about what was probably going on with that basketball idiot's mind. It was a pain, really, but he couldn't simply pull off his mind from the stunt that happened some seconds ago.

Kagami looked back at his captain, visibly oblivious at the message given to him. He effortlessly held a cold compress by his nose, nudging it hard at the spot where a sharp twinge of pain shot up. It was painful yet it did not show on his face. Kagami only shook his shoulders at Hyūga, not really knowing what to say. Instead, his gaze only fell at the gym doors, thinking about the trio of freshmen – Furihata, Kawahara and Fukuda – who sped off outside to follow the obviously distraught Kuroko. The redhead's pupils fell to the sides, looking at the ball their team used in their practice play a while ago. His type was not the typical person to wonder, but, a thought already clicked inside his head. Kagami was confused as well. However––

"What did you do to Kuroko-kun now?" Riko finally manage to voice out, after she wiped his hands and took the litters from Kagami's instant first aid measure she gave to him. She padded to the side of the court and threw the empty packs in the nearest bin. She faced the small group of males that circled the redhead and gave a huge frown. "Well?" She said aloud, clearly stressing that subtle order towards Kagami to spill an explanation.

Kagami paled. "I did not do anything! I swear!" He defended, his free hand waving submissively back at his coach. "W-Wait. Why do you always think it's me?" He complained with a soft whine, adjusting the cold pack over his face.

"Obviously," Hyūga grumbled. "You're at the same class as Kuroko. You are his partner, _dammit_." The captain briefly argued, with his 'clutch' quirks fleetingly showed in his response. He faked a cough when both Izuki and Koganei looked at him censoriously at the unconscious slip. "If something is going on with Kuroko, it's expected you're the first one to know." He added, diminishing the belligerent tone that laced his voice.

"How do you feel right now, Kagami?" Izuki butted in. "I never expected that Kuroko gave you that _blitzkrieg_ attack with the ball." He said, looking down at the said item.

"_Bl-Blietz-blie-_what?" Kagami sounded puzzled.

"Blitzkrieg," Koganei repeated the word. "It was the German tactic that used the element of speed and surprise in attacking during the second World War. It's also known as 'lightning war.'" After he explained, he looked at Izuki and gave him an incredulous stare. "I know you're going to say something, Itsuki. Come on, spill it."

"Well, 'coz I did _Nazi _that coming!" Izuki finally delivered the punchline. Several seconds later, resounding whack on the head resonated throughout the whole Seirin gym, followed by numerous comments that the joke was not even funny. Hyūga's voice boomed overall, his deep aggravation over the pun pretty evident.

"I hope there's a pretty good reason for Kuroko-kun to just walk out like that," Riko Aida said out loud. "Such waste; I'm actually going to tell you guys something really important." She sighed as she asked everyone who was left inside the gym to gather around. Well, they could just probably ask Kagami to inform Kuroko later what it was all about, she thought first. Then, without further ado, she quickly announced the content of her message.

"A practice game against Kaijō High School?" It was Hyūga who first reacted, surprise clearly written over his face.

"That's right." Their coach responded cheekily. "They won't disappoint us. We'll put plenty of first years on the court."

"Disappoint us?" Koganei voiced his doubt. "They're way better than us."

"They're strong at the national level." Hyūga inserted another valuable input. "They play in the Inter-High every year."

**. . .**

Kuroko did not miss it from afar when a tall blond male stepped into the school grounds. The golden locks danced with the winds, swaying at the cool air that bathed the afternoon. He pocketed his hands, his grey-colored uniform ruffling at the chafing of his clothes, while staring somewhat enthusiastically at the school, seemingly impressed. He held a small smile over his lips, but the light of the afternoon sun washed over the other male's face, obscuring the expression that plastered by his face. The shadow made no effort to fill in the interest that attracted him though, and remained motionless in the area buried by the trees. The blond seemed to have muttered some words to himself, since his lips opened then closed after some seconds.

Nonetheless, Kuroko kept a lingering gaze at blond, observing how the female population of the school stared at him as if an angel from heaven that decided to walk by the paths of humanity. All of them had the cherry pink tint that covered their cheeks, evidently startled by the arrival of the handsome male. As the girls' eyes twinkled in appreciation, Kuroko only took a small amount of observation at the good-looking male. At his height, he towered over the students that stood by his way. Of course, it was the first thing to note.

Height mattered in basketball. As one of the fundamental characteristics that defined the game, height had always been crucial for plays. It was always that–– Images suddenly washed over Kuroko's mind, pushing his hands to hold the throbbing feeling that shot through his head. There was a shade of red, a shade of violet, a shade of green and a shade of blue that invaded his mind, easily drowning his thoughts in a renewed effort to coalesce the scenes into something understandable. Kuroko almost moaned in pain when the images tried to take over his senses… an illustrious red, an empowering purple, a stifling green and a pervading blue… the colors were knocking the sense out of his head, Kuroko just knew. But he couldn't pull off from consciousness right now… now that things just became too confusing to ignore.

As he tried to regain his balance, Kuroko winded up in following the trail the blond made. He knew that seeing the other male whacked his head a little more. There was that silent hint that accompanied that man, a hint that may help him to discover just what the hell was happening right now. Kuroko understood that blond male's arrival would help him from the upsetting farce that appeared before him. Another torrent of colors ran through his head, making him wince some more. Kuroko looked ahead again, his eyes finally settled at the blonde's features. His foot then moved forward, a subconscious telling Kuroko to follow the man.

Even though Kuroko was in pain, he decided to agree to his instinct. As he walked, almost limping at the effort, Kuroko felt a warm feeling that crept from his chest. It was a comfortable one. It was too comfortable, in fact, that Kuroko felt _bothered _by it. It was one of the puzzling questions that immediately grew inside his head and yet, even though how much staggered he was at the sight before him, he felt some sense of familiarity at the scene before him. He trod on, but a questioned remained inside him.

He was surprised when the blond quickly went straight towards the gym he had left earlier.

"_And this year, Kaijō got their hands on one of the Generation of Miracles._" A female voice said. Kuroko inched closer towards the structure, although trying his best to remain hidden from the stranger team that he played with before and from the blond that sneaked inside without any words. It was rather strange. He knew that the name was beginning to create a name throughout the middle school basketball teams, but it was weird that high school team would be interested about them. Also, the Generation of Miracles was still second year middle school students. How were they supposed to get one of Generation of Miracles as if a lucky item? It was really strange and everything was just plain wrong.

"_Apparently, he also works as a model_." Another voice added.

"_Seriously? Amazing!_"

"_Good looking and good at basketball? That's brutal_."

Kuroko ignored the next few statements. After all, it went down to the Generation of Miracles. By this time, he was convinced that it was only through his teammates that he could resolve this current problem of his. Perhaps they could help him clarify just what the heck was going on. Even until now, it would end up into the Generation after all.

* * *

He felt as if he was pulled by an overwhelming force.

Kuroko huffed in more air than necessary, his chest rising and falling in an alarming rate. He bent forward, trying to suck in more air as if he was just retrieved from sea of water that tried to drown him. It hurt, both his chest and his head, he noted. His senses were as bad as the agony that ripped his body. His eyes were opened wide, but the blur in his visions nulled its use. The air that passed through his nose and mouth was odorless and without a taste. A ringing sound invaded his ears, making him uncomfortable at the cacophony that attacked him. Kuroko remained in this situation for at least two minutes, before a strong pair of hand landed on his shoulders.

"_Tetsu_?" An arrogant-sounding voice came clearly into his head. Kuroko immediately twisted his neck to see the source of the call and almost tumbled in his seat when he saw a familiar dark blue haired male sitting beside him. It took a lifetime of effort to shut off the surprise that bubbled inside him and he was glad that only a small whimper escaped from his lips. His orbs remained directed over the tanned teen, scanning the familiar image again and again just to reassure himself that it was all _real_. Nonetheless, his effort to observe the other one seemed to have a stroppy effect, since the other male was already looking back at Kuroko weirdly. "I'm not going to melt even if you look at me that way, I tell ya." The tanned teen only said, a wry smile on his lips.

"I'm not trying to melt you, Aomine-kun." Kuroko deadpanned, although he really didn't get what his friend meant by that. "And you are the one who was looking at me oddly." He pointed out, remembering that it was the blue-haired teen that brought him back to consciousness.

"You little…!" Aomine spat back, although he wore a huge grin. "You looked like you were just chased by a rabid dog," he told his partner.

"So you do admit that you were just looking at me." Kuroko responded.

"Yes but–_Hey_! No changing of topics!" Aomine replied, sending a large hand over Kuroko's head. He briefly ruffled the shorter one's hair before he slid it down after feeling satisfied at the affectionate gesture. "Don't you too think much, okay? Your mind may really fly away, ya know!"

"I must be the one telling you that, Aomine-kun." Kuroko just said, ignoring the teen's outburst over the shadow's retorts. Kuroko glanced to the sides, observing the inner structure of huge gym. He felt really eager at that time, but he could not ignore the feeling of sadness that went with it. It was the place where many of the important events had happened. He had never once forgotten how Teikō's gym looked like, but it was also the reason why a piece of agony managed to settle inside his heart. As it was the place that made Kuroko into what he was right now, it was also the place that showed him the other side of the coin. Clearly, he had made some invisible connection to the gym, unseen threads that connected him to Teikō. Much had happened here before, much had influenced him in this place. He even tried to sever the bonds that brought him up, that made him stronger. _But for what?_ Kuroko thought. Even though he cut out the chain that connected him to those people he left at this very place, the only thing he did was return to them…

It was pretty ironic, of course. He hated basketball once. It was just so raw a pain that the thing he loved the most he just hated as well. It was not about some conflicting feeling. It was about the knowledge that he was barely holding out towards basketball; in one snap, Kuroko and Basketball would forever separate. He loved basketball and, yet, he hated it in one point. Truly, hate was the closest emotion next to love. Oftentimes, it was extreme love that pushed people to the feeling of hate. When a person longed for something so passionately, he would grow to hate it when it did not reach out back for him. Human sentiment went that way; that it was easier to get angry at something you tried to take for yourself but failing at some point.

Nevertheless, Kuroko's love for basketball was for the fun it gave him, for the fun it gave to his team members. Perhaps, even Kuroko understood that his hatred for basketball stemmed from his inability to share what was most important in the game of basketball. He hated it because he was not able to give to others – to Teikō – what he had seen in the game. Especially, he was not able to prevent that one friend of his to lose sight of what was important. Basketball failed him. But, in a way, he also failed Basketball.

"––earth to Tetsu," again, Aomine's voice filled his mind. A hand waved repeatedly in front of Kuroko's eyes. The shadow only frowned at the intrusion, although Aomine seemed not to mind. "Geez, can't have you spacing out like that…" The blue-haired teen just whined, looking lazily as he stretched his body out, using the bench as support.

"Aomine-kun, what are we doing here?"

Aomine Daiki looked at Kuroko quizzically – well, more like startled. "You're seriously asking me that?" He replied in question.

"If you don't want to answer, I'll just ask Midorima-kun––" Kuroko attempted to stand up, before being pulled down back on the bench.

"You sound cranky," Aomine observed, as he scratched the back of his head. "Didn't Akashi say that he's bringing that new player from the second string?" The tanned male yawned soon afterwards, summoning a lone tear at the sides of his eyes.

_Bringing in a new player?_ Kuroko only stated in his head. There was something off about it; nonetheless, he could not piece it in at the moment. His mind was still too clouded to think straight and he needed to have a grasp of the things around him. However, as he tried to clear out the looming question, two pairs of feet suddenly stopped by the bench where he and Aomine sat on. Kuroko looked, down from the shoes up to the faces. His lips still flat, he gave a regarding nod at Midorima Shintarō. Behind him was another person Kuroko easily recognized who.

It was Aomine who stood up first and considered Midorima's arrival. "_Yo_," he lazily greeted. "Is it time for the training regimen?" He asked reluctantly.

"Actually, no," Midorima said, taking a very particular grasp of the item that rested on his left palm. It was a green cordless computer mouse. Aomine and Kuroko shared a look before the duo broke off and shrugged at the weird item. "I just brought in the player Akashi was talking about."

Aomine only gave a regarding look at the male, whose hair was in gold. He knew he had seen him before, but his memory was a bit hazy that time. He only wore a muzzled expression, still skimming over the entirety of the young man before him. He knew a player at first glance, but the blond was giving off a weird feel. Somehow, the other male that now stood forward him felt a little off. He did not want to speak soon right now. Probably, he'd just ask Tetsu's thoughts about the other teen. Nonetheless, there was a much important thing than trying to sort out the guy through his outer appearance and aura. With a small smile on his face, Aomine shared his honest orbs at the other male, and began to speak.

"Who are y––"

**. . .**

"––ou?" Kuroko stood by the gym doors, surprising Kagami and Seirin.

The blond slowly brought his head back and looked at the source of the voice. "When I heard our next opponent was Seirin," the blond suddenly began to walk and approached the location of the shadow, "I remembered Kurokocchi went here, so I thought I'd come say hi." He versed, offering that every-friendly smile that etched his expressions. Somehow, Kuroko felt a little bit stressed upon seeing the countenance. It seemed scripted and lacked an all-too honest feel on it. Even though it was a smile, it appeared forced. Kuroko's concern heightened at that, but he was still fazed at the announcement of the man.

"Who are you?" Kuroko repeated.

"We were the best of friends in middle school." He answered, apparently misjudging Kuroko's question as a joke of some sorts.

"He started basketball in his second year of middle school," Furihata leafed at the pages of the past copy Basketball Monthly – the one which contained the information about the famous Teikō Middle School players back then – and read out loud the contents about the blond that gave them a sudden visit. "His exceptional physical ability and sense got him on the Teikō team as a regular in a heartbeat––"

The next words went ignored, since Kuroko only looked up at the mention of the words 'Teikō' and 'regular' and fixated his teal orbs at the taller male in front of him. He did not know of this man, although he knew he'd seen him before. Teikō was a large school, and the basketball club alone housed at least a hundred students. He had some gut feeling that he had perhaps took a glance at the blond twice or thrice back then. Nevertheless, he could not shake off the cloud of doubt that settled over him.

Furihata continued. "Kise R––"

**. . .**

"––yōta," The blond answered, offering a smile back to Aomine.

"I remember now," Aomine placed his hands on his waist. "I've seen you with the second stringers before." He said, looking at his shadow who stood beside him. "Look, Tetsu, he's the one." He pointed at the blond with his thumb, while grinning down at his shorter friend.

However, Kise seemed surprised when Aomine suddenly steered his direction away from him and towards his side. The tanned male seemed to speak to someone else, but Kise did not see anyone else except for himself, Midorima beside him and Aomine in front of him. He tilted his head to the side, appearing confused about it. "_Ano_," he hummed, sending an inquiring look at the tanned male, "who are you talking to?"

"Eh?" Aomine rumbled startlingly. "I'm talking to my––"

"I am here, Kise-kun." Suddenly a soft, flat voice erupted in front of him. Kise gradually lowered his head down in front of him and finally saw a mass of light blue that stood shorter than him. It took three seconds for Kise to actually realize that there was another person together with them and another five to scream out loud and attract the attention of the whole gym just for himself. Midorima just groaned as he adjusted his glasses, muttering a silent '_another weirdo_' under his breath. Aomine only laughed heartedly, looking at the blank expression of his partner and the horrified one Kise was sporting.

"S-Since when were y-you here?" Kise stuttered as he asked, while pointing a finger at Kuroko, as if he was a ghost.

"Since Midorima-kun brought you here," Kuroko only answered, unfazed by the reaction from the other male. He had been immune and did not care any less that people had those types of reactions whenever they finally notice him, so Kuroko only wore that ever-impassive expression of his. "I am Kuroko Tetsuya, by the way." The shadow gave a curt nod towards the blond.

"Apparently, Kise was brought into the first string," Midorima next spoke, cutting off the awkward atmosphere that Kuroko's sudden 'appearance' towards Kise created. "Akashi wants him to train with the first stringers _right away_." He did not need to stress the word, Aomine and Kuroko knew. The statement of Akashi's name alone was enough for them to understand that what Midorima just relayed to them was of utmost importance. Even though he was recently promoted to the first string, Kise Ryōta needed to be baptized with the training menu offered to the Teikō regulars, if so ever the blond wished to play as an official member. "Kise, Akashi assigns you to have a personal instructor."

Kise turned to Midorima with a brightened expression. "Really?" He said with a squeal. "That's so good! Tell me, tell me! Who's going to instruct me and teach me how to play as a regular?!" He asked, and already appeared to nag Midorima with his intensified energetic streak.

"_Urusai_," Midorima said, silencing the blond. Personally, he had now an official idea that the blond would be a major pain to handle. With a sigh, he turned back and gave a blank look at Kuroko first, then towards Kise again. "Akashi wants Kuroko to be your personal instructor."

Now, it almost took thirty seconds just for those words to register in his mind. "Whaaaaaaaat?!" Kise responded as soon as he gained realization. "B-B-B-Bu-Bu-But he is so s––"

"Hey, don't mess with Tetsu," Aomine cut him off. "After all, he's part of the Generation of M––"

**. . .**

"––iracles, aren't we?" Kise added. The blond now looked mortified at the words he had heard from the teal-haired male. It was already obvious that Kuroko was not merely trying to kid him. He had seen those hostile eyes from his previous trainer before and he knew just how serious Kurokocchi could get. Kise Ryōta could practically feel those probing eyes from Kurokocchi, and it was making him feel distressed and vulnerable at the same time. Now, he was sure, Kurokocchi was not joking at all. All the signs of the poker jests that usually came from the shorter male were gone and were replaced with an antagonistic countenance. "Kurokocchi, what are you saying? Is this some kind of joke?"

"I am asking who you are." Kuroko responded. "You claim that you are a part of the Generation of Miracles, but I do not know who you are." Kuroko observed the pain that flashed all over the blonde's face. Even so, he was merely saying the truth. Perhaps seeing the blond walked in casually inside the school may had triggered his mind to browse through the memory of his Teikō teammates, but never did he see a shade of _gold_ in it. He did not like it that someone appeared and claimed to be in good terms with the Generation of Miracles, especially that he was a perfect stranger.

Even Kuroko was pulled out of his musings when a basketball was sent towards their direction, with Kise catching it with a single hand. The blond finally let go of his friendly expression and gave in with the shock and horror that he just felt upon hearing Kurokocchi's words. He sent a glare at the person who threw the ball against him, and saw that it was a tall, red-haired, muscular teen that did it. "What was that for?" His tone clearly conveyed his annoyance; perhaps the talk with Kurokocchi was rubbing roughly in his patience. He was really confused right now, and the aggressive display from another person wasn't clearly helping with his tolerance.

"Don't tell me you came all the way here just to greet us." Kagami spoke challengingly. "Why don't you play with me a little, pretty boy?" He added, motioning his hand towards Kise as an invitation for a one-on-one. The redhead looked at the blond amusingly, although the latter did not take in the gesture too well. Coach Riko and Hyuuga protested at the redhead's hostile hospitality, but it seemed that their player was too fired up to be stopped.

"I don't know if I'm ready." Kise tucked the ball under his arms. "I'm in a pretty bad mood right now." He scowled at Kagami once again. "Fine, let's do it." He answered, deciding that the other male might be good enough for him to vent out his frustrations and confusion that he received from Kurokocchi. Sooner or later, he had to know why Kurokocchi was telling him those things. But, right now, there was an idiot who presented himself to be the item for Kise to release his pent up exasperation.

**. . .**

Kuroko watched both Aomine and Kise from the bench. The blond had asked for a one-one with the tanned teen, in which the latter quickly accepted. The first match ended with an obvious win towards Aomine's favor, leaving a sulking Kise for another round. Nonetheless, even though he was a complete beginner in the game, Kuroko could see the instant improvement that happened in mere minutes just as soon as the two male's play began. Kuroko, however, knew that it was because of Kise's genius – he was able to copy the play of other basketball players and using it for his own. Nevertheless, the blond was still learning and Aomine had yet to learn how to tone down his game for the newbies. After three sets of a first-to-score-ten game, Aomine ended up in winning all the sets while Kise stormed off to the other side of the court and haplessly harried Midorima just how good Aomine was.

Aomine let his body fall on the bench where Kuroko was and settled beside his shadow, snatching the towel that draped on the shorter male's neck and using it to wipe the sweat off his face. Kuroko only frowned at his friend's action, although he'd let it pass for now. Still, even though how much concentration he had mustered just to reflect on what was happening, he could not still grasp the fact that he was back in his Teikō years. The thought was simply overpowering that Kuroko almost concluded that he dreamt so lucidly that everything felt so real. Even though he tried to swallow the whole truth right now, there were so many thoughts that ran inside his head, so many possibilities that tried to gain attention.

He had now officially returned to the past.

Nevertheless, it was not too difficult to cope. It had only been Aomine he was interacting to lately, while it was only a brief conversation with Midorima and Kise. At the good side, he did not yet need to bother himself on how to handle some dialogues with Murasakibara or Akashi. Right now, he needed to relax and let the stress in his mind be relieved. There was still some plenty of time to think and prepare himself. After all, it was just the date wherein Kise finally joined Teikō's first string of basketball players. He flicked his pupils at Kise and Midorima's direction, observing the duo interact. Of course, their vice-captain would still push the copycat back towards the line of regulars-in-training because he simply did not want to be bothered by a rather talkative male. But Kise proved to be much tougher than expected.

There were those possibilities again.

"So, whaddaya think?" Aomine spoke.

"Sorry, what was that again, Aomine-kun?"

"Man, did you hit your head, Tetsu?" Aomine inquired, slightly curious as to the reason why Kuroko spaced out a lot. "What d'ya think of that Kise?"

"Aomine-kun, you do understand that each and every one of us has a special way of playing basketball." Kuroko responded. "Are you just trying to ask me how he fared against you?" He shot towards Aomine.

Aomine looked hurt. "Of course not," he pouted. "I'm like asking your personal opinion."

Kuroko regarded before he answered. "Kise-kun is still learning. His plays are unpolished, but he is already a gem to begin with." The shadow said to his light. This appealed Aomine's attention, which made him sent a curious glance at his partner. Kuroko took this as a signal for him to expound. "You can already say that Kise-kun is already prepared for basketball. Perhaps, it was only late, but he had the strength to play basketball to the fullest. He was just waiting… or it was basketball itself that waited for him." Kuroko glimpsed at Kise before turning his head back at Aomine. "Even Aomine-kun knows how to spot a good basketball player at first glance."

"You speak highly of him," Aomine observed, which slightly surprised Kuroko. Nonetheless, the expression quickly vanished from his face.

"I'm merely stating the obvious." Kuroko responded. "Basketball is said to be a game filled with two different types of people – those who are geniuses and those who work in effort. There are a lot of differences between the two and there are too many to mention. However, the only thing true for these people is that they both _learn _at _first_." The shadow stated. "People first learn, perhaps geniuses only make it seem easy. Nonetheless, what is important is that people take time to learn things first before going on forward. For me, there is not much difference between a genius who learns and excels at his trials and a person who persevere the greatest just to achieve a goal. As long as you are willing to learn, there will always be a room for growth, be it for geniuses or for those who are eager to keep on trying until the end. I do not have a bias between the two, because the endpoint will always be the enjoyment we feel whenever we play together." Kuroko explained. "It is never about the genius or the veteran, but basketball is about the effort to learn and the fun we get from playing it. As long as Kise-kun wants to learn and play basketball with all his heart, I will not have any complaints about that." Kuroko ended and waited for a response. Hearing none, he whipped his head and looked at his friend.

Aomine was only giving him an appreciative stare; the tanned male appeared awestruck to make any semblance of a reply. Kuroko only lazily brought a hand up and hover it beside Aomine, before he pushed deep into his friend's sides. Aomine jolted up at the sudden sensation of pain, sending an angry look at Kuroko. Aomine massaged the spot wherein he was hit, waiting for any explanation from the sudden attack. "What was that for?!"

"You are looking at me weirdly again, Aomine-kun."

"W-Well, I never thought that you can say something that deep!"

"That is because I do not want to be called a 'basketball idiot.'"

"Why wou––_Hey_! Who are you calling a basketball idiot?!"

Before Kuroko could answer, Kise suddenly stood in front of the duo that was play-bickering. Both Aomine and his shadow looked up and gave the blond an inquisitive expression. Kise sounded a little awkward, but he said in a hushed tone that he wanted to talk to Aomine. The tanned teen did not have a problem with, although he gave a look at Kuroko. The shadow understood that Aomine was silently asking if it was alright to leave him for a while, a thing which not bothered him at all. With a simple nod, Kuroko managed to tell his partner that it was fine. With that, Kise was able to take Aomine away. Suddenly, as Kuroko was watching his partner and Kise go away, a thought took flight inside his head. It brought him some terrible pain, which made him held his temples, rubbing it with his fingertips.

Now that he had remembered it, he was not supposed to be in this timeline. Kise only joined the basketball team during their second year at Teikō, which meant that Kuroko was already a regular member of Teikō that time. His eyes widened at the realization. There was some kind of mistake. Perhaps he was just brought in by the inviting atmosphere, but he completely failed to realize that it was the wrong time to return to. Of course something went wrong. After all, he was supposed to come back during his first year of middle school in Teikō.

It was still clear inside his mind until now: it was supposed to be a loan of _three_ years, not just _two_.

_What happened? Why did I return only two years back?_ Kuroko asked himself.

** A Shadow Gained: Chapter 1**

* * *

**-** **End of Chapter -**

What do you think? I hope you were not confused with the transition. I just felt it would have an added effect to the chapter. Seriously though, I'm going to run through this chapter once again (tomorrow). I wrote this in the middle of the night and I'm practically dozing upon my laptop. Edit! Edit!

Hope everyone understood the time Kuroko went back to (and the Kuroko who was transferred to the future).

Obviously, this chapter is still filled with questions. Let me first feed you guys with the question marks. :P

Thanks for reading!

**Edited**: (01/29/2013) - Error due to drunk-like status. Meh, difficult to write when sleepy.


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